Where does the facial nerve run?
Keeping this in view, where does the facial nerve cross?
The chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve is responsible for innervating the anterior 2/3 of the tongue with the special sense of taste. The nerve arises in the facial canal, and travels across the bones of the middle ear, exiting via the petrotympanic fissure, and entering the infratemporal fossa.
Considering this, where does the facial nerve originate?
Origin and course. The motor root of the facial nerve originates in the facial (motor) nerve nucleus in the pons of the brainstem, which receives input from a number of other structures and brain regions, including the primary motor cortex and the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve.
The facial nerve passes through the stylomastoid foramen in the skull and terminates into the zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, and cervical branches. These nerves serve the muscles of facial expression, which include the frontalis, orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, buccinator, and platysma muscles.